Hydrolysis of activated olefinic ketones and aldehydes

ABSTRACT

Ketones or aldehydes containing one or more carbon-carbon double bonds and a carbonyl group conjugated with at least one double bond are hydrolyzed by the action of heat and pressure in the presence of water. The ketone or aldehyde cleaves at the double bond conjugated with the carbonyl group to produce additional carbonyl-containing compounds.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In the field of organic chemistry, reaction products different in form from their starting materials can be obtained by means of a large number of reaction sequences. Organic starting materials particularly amenable to reaction are alkene compounds, otherwise known as olefins. Olefins are characterized by the presence of one or more carbon-carbon double bonds. Reactions involving olefins usually occur at the carbon-carbon double bonds. The double bond can be eliminated by addition of atoms to the olefin molecule. The double bond can also be shifted from one carbon-carbon couple to another within the molecule. The double bond can also be cleaved to form two or more smaller molecules from one olefin molecule having one or more double bonds. Cleavage is accomplished by a small number of reaction sequences such as ozonolysis, oxidation and the like. Generally, cleavage occurs by the addition of oxygen to the double bond carbons which then destroys the bond between the carbons.

The presence of a substituent group on the olefin compound sometimes permits the double bond to be broken under less vigorous conditions. One such substituent is the carbonyl group, which consists of a carbon doubly bonded to oxygen. A carbonyl group having its double bond conjugated with the olefin double bond can activate the olefin double bond and cause it to break in the presence of alkaline catalyst, heat and water. This reaction is known as a reverse or retro-aldol condensation which are subject to side reactions and reaction product condensations. In the presence of only heat and water, typically no reaction occurs.

One reference has been found which describes the cleavage of a substituted conjugated cyclohexanone molecule in the presence of heat, pressure and water without any added alkaline catalyst. The reaction as cited in Annalen, Vol. 289, p. 337 (1896), involved the formation of acetone and 3-methyl-cyclohexanone in an autoclave at 250° C. for pulegone and water. No other references of cleavage using only heat, pressure and water are known; further, it is believed that pulegone underwent reaction under the above conditions because the position of the substituents on the cyclohexyl ring caused a destabilization of the olefin, permitting reaction to occur.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It has now been found that certain acyclic compounds having at least one carbon-carbon double bond and a conjugated carbonyl carbon-oxygen bond can undergo a cleavage reaction in the absence of alkaline catalyst. Specifically, it has been found that acyclic unsaturated ketones and aldehydes having a carbon-carbon double bond conjugated with the carbonyl double bond undergo hydrolysis in the presence of heat, pressure, and water which breaks the conjugated carbon-carbon double bond and forms new carbonyl-containing reaction products. Also, the hydrolysis reaction causes cleavage of a substantial portion of the starting material in practical yield. The hydrolysis of the alpha, beat-unsaturated compound as practiced by this invention actually proceeds contrary to the normal acid or base catalyzed aldol reaction sequence. The favored sequence would produce an alpha, beta-unsaturated compound from the carbonyl-containing compounds with formation of water. One of the advantages of this invention is the production of natural flavors from natural sources simply under the reaction conditions of temperature, pressure, and water with no catalysts.

It has been found that the reaction proceeds in the presence of water with a temperature in the range of about 200° to about 300° C. and pressure in the range of about 225 to about 1250 psi. Minor variations in temperature or pressure during the reaction have no significant effect on the generation of product and therefore can be tolerated. It is critical that the starting material and water be subjected to both temperature and pressure in the above-listed ranges. Starting material and water subjected only to heat or only to pressure will not produce hydrolyzed products. The water may be distilled or deionized, but tap water is also sufficient.

The starting materials intended to be included within this invention are acyclic unsaturated ketones and aldehydes having one or more carbon-carbon double bonds wherein at least one carbon-carbon double bond is conjugated with the carbonyl carbon-oxygen double bond. The term "acyclic" is meant to limit the class of compounds to those wherein neither the carbonyl carbon nor either of the carbons of the conjugated carbon-carbon double bond are also integral components of a ring structure, either cyclic or aromatic. Cyclic or aromatic substituents may exist in the same molecule, however.

The hydrolysis reaction claimed herein is typically carried out in an autoclave in a batch-type process. However, the reaction may be successfully accomplished in a continuous flow reactor.

Because of the nature of the hydrolysis reaction, non-reactive species present in the starting material will have little effect on the cleavage of the conjugated carbon-carbon double bond. As a result, natural sources of the acyclic unsaturated ketones and aldehydes may be employed to obtain products in substantial yield.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The method in its broader aspects is practiced by hydrolyzing activated acyclic olefins as represented by the following chemical equation: ##STR1## The substituents R, R' and R" are hydrogen, alkyl, cycloalkyl or aryl hydrocarbon radical or substituted alkyl, cycloalkyl or aryl hydrocarbon radical. The substituent A is a radical selected from the class of aldehyde or ketone which is conjugated with the olefin; R" can also be an A. The reaction proceeds in the presence of water at a substantially neutral pH at a temperature in the range of about 200° to about 300° C. and under pressure in the range of about 225 to about 1250 psi.

A large number of activated olefin compounds may be hydrolyzed according to the teachings of this invention. The compounds in the following non-comprehensive list are included under the description of hydrolyzable activated olefin compounds: cinnamaldehyde to produce benzaldehyde; citral to produce 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-one; 2,4-decadienal to produce hexanal; 3-decen-2-one to produce heptanal and acetone; 2-dodecenal to produce decanal; 2-heptenal to produce pentanal; 2-hexenal to produce butanal; ionone to produce 3,3-dimethyl octan-7-onal and acetone; irone to produce 3,3,4-trimethyl octan-7-onal and acetone; 1-(4-methoxyphenyl)-1-penten-3-one to produce paramethoxybenzaldehyde and methyl ethyl ketone; 5-methyl-3-hexen-2-one to produce isobutyraldehyde and acetone; alpha-methyl-iso-ionone to produce citral and methyl ethyl ketone; 5-methyl-2-phenyl-2-hexenal to produce phenylacetaldehyde and 3-methylbutanal; 4-phenyl-3-buten-2-one to produce benzaldehyde and acetone; and ortho-methoxy cinnamaldehyde to produce ortho-methoxy benzaldehyde.

OPERATING EXAMPLES

The following detailed operating examples illustrate the practice of the invention in its most preferred form, thereby enabling a person of ordinary skill in the art to practice the invention. The principles of this invention, its operating parameters and other obvious modifications thereof will be understood in view of the following detailed procedure.

EXAMPLE I

Into a one liter Parr autoclave is placed 80 g cassia oil (72% cinnamaldehyde) and 720 g H₂ O. The autoclave with cassia oil and water is then heated to 250° C. and is held at that temperature for approximately eight hours. The autoclave pressure during the reaction was maintained at 680-700 psi.

At the end of the reaction period, heat and pressure were removed and the autoclave cooled. The organic phase was separated from the water phase by extraction with methylene chloride.

After removal of the majority of the methylene chloride by roto-evaporation, the organic phase was then fractionally distilled. The first fraction to distill was that of benzaldehyde in the amount of 18 g. The second fraction recovered was 14 g of cinnamaldehyde.

EXAMPLE II

Into a one liter Parr autoclave is placed 80 cinnamaldehyde and 720 g water. The autoclave containing the starting materials was then heated to 250° under 680 psi pressure for approximately eight hours.

After cooling, the organic phase was separated from the water phase by extraction with methylene chloride. After removal of the majority of the methylene chloride by roto-evaporation, the organic phase was then frictionally distilled to provide 23 g benzaldehyde and 13.3 g cinnamaldehyde.

EXAMPLE III

Into a one liter Parr autoclave is placed 80 g cinnamaldehyde and 720 g water. The autoclave was then heated to 250° C. at a pressure of 700 psi for two hours.

After cooling, the organic phase was extracted from the aqueous phase with methylene chloride and fractionally distilled as in Examples I and II. The recovered products were 22 g benzaldehyde and 36.5 g cinnamaldehyde.

EXAMPLE IV

Into a one liter Parr autoclave is placed 720 g water and 80 g terpeneless lemongrass oil containing approximately 95% citral. The autoclave containing the oil and water was then heated to 250° C. at a pressure of 720 psi for two hours.

The contents of the autoclave were then cooled and extracted with methylene chloride. Most of the methylene chloride was removed by roto-evaporation. The separated organic phase was then fractionally distilled, producing 14.16 g 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-one, and 9.0 g citral.

Thus, it can be seen that by following the teachings of this invention, one can hydrolyze acyclic unsaturated conjugated ketones and aldehydes to produce desirable cleavage products in good yield. The amount of yield obtained is surprising in that heretofore the hydrolysis of such acyclic ketones and aldehydes was not known to proceed at all without the presence of an alkaline catalyst. It is now possible to hydrolyze olefinic compounds activated by the carbonyl group of a ketone or aldehyde substituent using only water, heat, and pressure.

Having described this invention, and its operating parameters, variations may be achieved without departing from the spirit and scope hereof. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of hydrolyzing an activated olefin to produce a carbonyl-containing compound comprising:conducting the reaction of an acyclic olefin represented by the following chemical equation: ##STR2## to produce said carbonyl-containing compounds, wherein R, R' and R" are hydrogen, alkyl, cycloalkyl or aryl hydrocarbon groups or substituted derivatives thereof and A of said olefin is a radical selected from the class of aldehyde or ketone which is conjugated with said olefin, R" can also be an A, and conducting said reaction at substantially neutral pH at a temperature of about 200° to about 300° C. and a pressure of about 225 to about 1250 psi and in the presence of water.
 2. The method of claim 1 wherein the temperature is about 250° C.
 3. The method of claim 1 wherein the pressure is about 600 to about 800 psi.
 4. The method of claim 1 wherein the reaction is conducted in an autoclave or other pressure reactor.
 5. The method of claim 1 wherein the volume of water exceeds the volume of activated olefin.
 6. The method of claim 1 wherein the activated olefin cinnamaldehyde is hydrolyzed to produce the carbonyl-containing compound benzaldehyde.
 7. The method of claim 1 wherein the activated olefin citral is hydrolyzed to produce the carbonyl-containing compound 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-one.
 8. A method of hydrolyzing a volume of activated olefin to produce carbonyl-containing compounds comprising:conducting the reaction of an acyclic olefin represented by the following chemical equation: ##STR3## to produce said carbonyl-containing compounds, wherein R, R' and R" are hydrogen, alkyl, cycloalkyl or aryl hydrocarbon radical or substituted alkyl, cycloalkyl or aryl hydrocarbon radical and A is a radical selected from the class of aldehyde or ketone, which is conjugated with said olefin, R" can also be an A, and conducting said reaction at substantially neutral pH at a temperature of about 250° C. and a pressure of about 600 to about 800 psi and in the presence of water having a volume in excess of said volume of said activated olefin. 